Gold love or marriage ring with enamel, diamond and ruby (Germany, about 1500)

"Diamonds and rubies were the natural choice for a love ring - the hard, unbreakable diamond symbolised eternity whilst the ruby was associated with passion. Seen side by side, these two stones sent a message of eternal love. The shoulders of the ring are decorated with three dimensional scrolls emphasizing the sculptural talents of the goldsmith. Renaissance rings were miniature works of art in which the colour and glitter of the gemstone was balanced by the artistry of the goldwork.

This ring is part of a large group of jewels given by the art historian and collector Dame Joan Evans (1893-1977). Dame Joan came from a family of distinguished archaeologists and scholars. Her interest in art and jewellery was formed at the knee of her father Sir John Evans and she wrote her first book 'A History of Jewellery' at the age of 17. She was one of the first women to take a full degree at Oxford which she followed with a distinguished career as an author and academic researcher. In 1933 she became a Fellow of the Society of Antiquities and later a director. She had a long association with the V&A, making numerous lifetime gifts of jewellery and bequeathing her collection at her death in 1977." - V&A museum